Now that the spooky season has arrived, you might be looking for a few ghoulish muses to get you into the spirit of things! Thankfully, the West Coast has no shortage of artists who embrace the dark side, whose work will walk you into the furthest reaches of unflinching insanity. That being said, they’re all very lovely people. Whether you’re looking to add a bit of macabre flair to your house (as realtors call it, dungeon-chic), or you’re just hoping to darken-up your workspace, the artists ahead have you covered for occult ambience. Check out their profiles, see which pieces speak to you, and maybe say hello. It’s definitely a lot easier than using an Ouija board!
Rheanna Fancypants
Rheanna describes her work as “art and trinkets for people who wear a lot of black clothing.” You can watch her create art on live Twitch streams, where she takes an audience through her artistic process in real time. She doesn’t have a set schedule for this yet, but if you follow her on Bluesky, you’ll see updates about when she goes live!
Upcoming Event:
The Oddities & Curiosities Expo
October 11-12
Vancouver Convention Centre
Credit: @softasvulvet via Instagram
Lisa LaRose
A Vancouver-based painter and comic creator, Lisa LaRose combines vibrant colours with darker imagery to create something wholly unique. A skeleton surrounded by bursting spring flowers and a great white shark diving out of a birthday cake—it’s an unexpected combination that is simultaneously eerie and fun.
Upcoming events:
Eastside Culture Crawl
November 20-23
Slice of Life Gallery – Vancouver
Got Craft Holiday Market
November 29-30
Croatian Cultural Centre – Vancouver
Credit: lisalaroseart.com | “Yellow” – 16×24 Acrylic on Wood Panel, Painted for the Yellow Colour Collective Gallery show
Kat Schuhmacher
An accomplished 3D rigger in the animation industry, Kat has contributed to high-profile projects like Star Wars: Andor, Antman, and Lilo and Stitch. With her personal work, Kat creates “cute critters & watercolour wonders” that span dragons, skeletons, mystical animals and spooky plushies.
Credit: kattakind.com | “Resilient Bodies: Beauty Despite Disease – ADHD”
Megan Majewski
Finding beauty in the odd, unusual and the morbid,
Megan Majewski creates pop-surreal pieces that are akin to wading through a colourful waking dream. With each of her paintings, Megan creates a real sense of storytelling that extends far beyond the frame of her work. Phantom animals staring out from the darkness, nostalgic pop culture references with a dark edge—it’s as if she’s using an ominous palette from long-forgotten childhood memories.
Credit: deadkittie.com | “Vidar” – Original acrylic painting from solo show “Beautiful Monsters”
Julia Jane Martens
An illustrator of the strange and whimsical, Julia Jane Martners draws creepy Victorian children whose piercing eyes will echo through the coldest places in your heart. Each of her illustrations could easily be something from an old book of ancient spells and incantations, and her artist bio reads like something that would be shared at late-night gatherings by candlelight: “She was raised by birds many moons ago and lives in the hollow of an old oak tree with her cat Walter.”
Credit: juliamartens.ca | “I Am Afraid Of Death No Longer” – print on archival textured watercolour paper
Justin Gedak
Specializing in surreal gothic fantasy paintings, Justin Gedak’s portraits focus on weather-worn characters who have faced enduring times and survived to tell the tale. The heavy eyes of each of these warriors create an often unnerving tone that is equal parts inspiring and haunting.
Credit: justingedak.com | “Vampire Skull” – Oil on canvas
Tomek Sosnowski
An award-winning sculptor and makeup effects artist, Tomek Sosnowski has been working in the film and TV industry for 15 years. Recently though, Tomek has embarked on a journey of reconnecting with his Slavic (Polish) heritage through creating depictions of Slavic mythological deities. Working as a traditional sculptor, Tomek uses primarily oil-based clay to create original models before the finished sculpture is moulded and cast in bronze-coated resin.
Credit: tomekmasks.ca | “The Reaper – Marzanna” – 20″ x 20″ Bronze, resin, paint, LEDs